The semi-weekly fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-11-11
wedding Out Poor Stock.

What kind of stock the farmer sells
has more to do with success or failure
than any other one item in farm manage
ment. We think most farmers are learn
ing to be more particular on this point
than formerly. 1t is no longer easy for
the butcher or drovers to ride through
the country, picking out the choicest
animals, paying a trifle more for them,
and leaving the farmer the scrubs. The
reverse of this is now so often the case
that the business Of buying cattle and
other live stock in the East has to some
extent gone out Of fashion. 1t is easier
to order dressed beef from the far West,
or bring the live stock on cars and
butcher them here
One of the results of this is that farm
ers are often left with the animals nc
worth keeping, and yet not easy to sell.
Unless farmer is a pretty close calcula
tor this condition of affairs may continue
year after year, until the stock has, as the
saying is, more than eaten its head of. 4"
1t is easy to see that such animals must
be a heavy drawback upon successful
farming. No matter how good the crops
may be- whatever is fed to inferior ami
mails brings little return. In olden times
there was less competition and a larger
margin of profit. Then poor stock did
not matter so much, for everybody had
more or less of it. With the improve
ments that have now been made in do
nestle animals, it is more necessary than
ever before to get and keep the best.
1t costs more too than it used TO, though
not prOpOrtionably more than its in
creased excellence warrants. The farmers
who complain that pedigreed stock of
good strains costs too much, ignore its
productiveness This is especially true
of COWS for milk and butter Many a
farmer can we'll afford to sell off his three,
four or half a dozen ordinary animals
and put their price in one. The progeny
from the one wild be worth for raising
more than from all that he previously
had. He will save expense Of feeding
superfuous animals and extra labor in
care and milking. One thoroughbred
cow may thus be the foundation of a
valuable herd.
1t is the same with all other farm ami
mails. No good farming can be done
with poor horses. If the team is inefficient,
the fact hinders all farm work and causes
1t to be done at loss. 1t is one of the
disadvantages Of continuing long in the
farming business, that unless the farmer
- pIGlJN NlOlC hNdhC lc Will SOOu lIuO
his stables filled with animals past their
best service No one would buy such
horses to begin farming with, but having
them, the farmer sees a yearly deprecl-
alton of value which he vainly attempts
to recover. A year ago a horse that might
readily have sold for $50 is now less
salable at $500. Two or three years later
ne will be an old horse, salable. perhaps,
Tor $50, yet really not worth taking as a
gift. When horse from age or inhrnlty
goes below $50 or 500 in price, the man
must be in hard stress indeed who will
depend on him to do a seasons work on
the iarm
Yer it is such animals, not merely OF
horses, but of other farm stock, that
poor beginners mainly start out with.
They take the leavings OF the rich, and
nobody ever made money by this method.
The only exception to this is N an mails
past their prime, of good blood and not
past breeding age. Sonetim s from such
valuable young stock may be bred, and
the profit on the young animals more
than offsets the depreciation of the old.
Al rule however, all animals much past
their prime should be disposed of as soon
as possible. Old horses that have done
faithful service may be killed in some
painless manner, rather than sold to he
AI-treated by strangers. Killing with